Like so many fund-raisers do, Savor the Grape started small and grew to epic proportions. This year, a faltering economy could have been blamed for a smaller attendance and lesser profit.
Only thing, it didn’t happen that way.
Morton’s in the DTC was packed to the rafters with athletes and others who came to help raise upwards of $60,000 for the Darrent Williams Memorial Teen Center that’s part of the Denver Broncos branch of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Denver.
Hosts were two of Williams’ best friends and former teammates, John Lynch and Champ Bailey. They were joined by former Bronco Rod Smith and current players Daniel Graham, Brandon Marshall, Boss Bailey, Hamza Abdullah, Ryan Torain, Mike Leach, Nate Jackson and Ebenezer Ekuban.
A few Denver Nuggets got into the act, too: Carmelo Anthony, J.R. Smith and Dahntay Jones.
All of which had to be very heart-warming for Williams’ mom, Rosalind, who had flown in from her home in Ft. Worth to attend.
Guests enjoyed a buffet that included all of Morton’s signature dishes: freshly shucked oysters, giant prawns, sliced filet mignon fresh from the grill. Jordan, Opus One and other top-shelf wines, courtesy of Republic National Distributing, also were poured.
A live auction featured items unique to the local fund-raising scene.
Dinner with “The Guys,” snapped by by Curtis Frank, was a package that included dinner you and seven others in the Morton’s Boardroom with Champ Bailey and Domonique Foxworth. John Lynch and Hamza Abdullah were high bidders fon two four-course Morton’s dinners for six, prepared by Chef Eric Pruitt at the winner’s home and served by Morton’s staff.
Janco Partners chief executive Jan Helen will be enjoying A Foursome with 47: a round of golf at the private Sanctuary course with Pro Bowl Safety John Lynch.
The Darrent Williams Memorial Teen Center opened May 29 at the Denver Broncos Boys & Girls Club in Denver’s Montbello neighborhood. The center provides a gathering place for youths ages 13–18, allowing them to socialize, play video games, work on homework, plan and implement service projects, and avoid unsafe activities and influences.
CBS 4 sports anchor Vic Lombardi served as emcee and auctioneer.
The mission of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Denver is to inspire and enable young people, especially those from disadvantaged circumstances, to realize their full potential as productive, responsible, and caring citizens. Since 1961, Boys & Girls Club of Metro Denver has been helping kids from tough neighborhoods stay out of trouble, stay in school, and succeed in life. Not just after school hangouts, the Clubs are places where young people come to learn, do homework, develop social skills, express themselves creatively, and participate in sports. Learn more at www.bgcmd.org.
2008 marks Morton’s 30th anniversary, and the company will celebrate by partnering with the Make A Wish Foundation in its “30 Wishes for 30 Years” national campaign.

Pictures taken at Savor the Grape can be viewed at denverpost.com/seengallery

Denver Post Society Editor Joanne Davidson can be reached at 303-809-1314 or jdavidson@denverpost.com

From left: Champ Bailey, Rosalind Williams, John Arigoni and John Lynch. Photo by Steve Peterson/Special to The Denver Post

Ben Affleck and U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin pack boxes at America’s Harvest “Send Hunger Packing” event held at Food Bank of the Rockies. Photo by Joanne Davidson, The Denver Post

Despite an equipment malfunction — his tape gun jammed — and a call for a recount, a team led by actor Ben Affleck filled the most boxes with 25 pounds of nonperishable food in a drive to “send hunger packing” Tuesday morning at Food Bank of the Rockies.
Affleck’s team bested one led by U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin and U.S. Rep. George McGovern 17 boxes to 15 in a five-minute period. “We’ve demanded an official re-count,” Durbin said, adding that packing boxes is “A lot harder than anything I have to do (on a daily basis) in the senate.” Durbin chairs the Senate Hunger Caucus.
Affleck’s commitment to feeding hungry Americans began when he toured the Boston neighborhood in which he grew up with a representative from America’s Second Harvest. “I was shocked to see how many people there were, right in my own neighborhood, that needed help.” Feeding the hungry, Affleck said, is an “Issue that transcends politics and is something we can do something about.”
McGovern pointed out that there’s “Not a single community in America that is hunger-free” and encouraged both government and the public to step up with aid. “As the price of food goes up, donations tend to drop. Groups like Food Bank of the Rockies do a tremendous job, but more help is needed.”

Denver Post Society Editor Joanne Davidson can be reached at 303-809-1314 or jdavidson@denverpost.com

As riveting as the Democratic National Convention is, even the staunchest of the party faithful can use a break from reality and a taste of fantasy.
The latter was provided Tuesday when Neiman Marcus and Tamara Comolli Fine Jewelry teamed with Cindy Farber to present a lunchtime showing of fashions and jewels at Elway’s Cherry Creek. Grace Nelson, wife of U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson of Florida, and Nancy Wyden, whose husband, Ron, is a U.S. Senator from Oregon, were among those admiring the exquisite diamonds, South Sea pearls and colored gemstones that make the Comolli Collection rings, bracelets, necklaces and brooches sparkle and shine. The jewels were modeled with fall fashions from such top fashion houses as Stella McCartney, Dolce and Gabbana, Escada and Roberto Cavalli.
Farber’s husband, Steve, played a key role in getting the DNC to Denver and she attended the lunch with her sister, Shelly Sapkin, and such friends as Marsha Alpert and Debbie Herz.
In her welcoming remarks, Cindy Farber admitted that while “Jewelry certainly isn’t a ‘need,’ it always makes you happy.”Nancy Sagar, spokeswoman for Neiman Marcus Cherry Creek, explained that the show came about because Tamara Comolli Fine Jewelry Collection had wanted to do something in connection with the DNC and a luncheon for participants, sprinkled with some top Neiman Marcus customers, seemed the perfect fit.
Several of the non-convention-attending guests had stories to share about meeting celebrities in town to support presumptive presidential nominee Barack Obama.Ellen Robinson Schwartz ran into actress Dana Delaney at Rockbar; Kathryn Kaiser said her husband, Jim, had been reunited with longtime friend, and former dancing partner, former Labor Secretary Alexis Herman, at a dinner Molson Coors President/CEO Leo Kiely and his wife, Susan, had for the Rev. Willie T. Barrow, chair emeritus of the Rainbow Coalition/PUSH board.
Others gathered in a private room at Elway’s Cherry Creek were Kaiser’s daughter, Lauren Andrews; Lisa Kessler; Colorado Expression publisher Terry Vitale; and Christel Dikeman, general manager of Neiman Marcus Cherry Creek.

Pictures taken at the luncheon can be viewed at denverpost.com/seengallery

Denver Post Society Editor Joanne Davidson can be reached at 303-809-1314 or jdavidson@denverpost.com. She’s taking a break from the column she writes four times a week for The Post’s Life/Style section to cover DNC-related social events. Her regular column resumes Tuesday.

H. Alexander Robinson, CEO of the National Black Justice Coalition, being interviewed by The Advocate at the Celebrate Diversity reception Monday afternoon. Photo by Joanne Davidson, The Denver Post

The prospect of electing a president committed to addressing such issues as gender identity, same-sex marriage and a national AIDS strategy is something to celebrate, and the Augusta Room at the Westin Tabor Center was packed late Monday afternoon with legislators, delegates and others who hope that Barack Obama will prevail in the November election.
Connecticut State Rep. Jason Bartlett, D-Bethel, the first openly gay African-American legislator in the United States, was among those at the cocktail buffet that also drew U.S. Reps. Raul Grijalva of Arizona, first vice chair of the National Hispanic Caucus; Peter Welch of Vermont; Lois Capps and Mike Honda of California; and Charlie Gonzalez of Texas, a DNC delegate and second vice chair of the Hispanic caucus.
Honda, who was honored for his pioneering support of same-sex marriage and the don’t ask, don’t tell legislation, may have been preaching to the choir when he explained that his support of gay issues stems from the fact “We never know who we have in our families, and we must nurture and support them and encourage them once they do come out.” But it’s a sentiment that others would do well to keep in mind, if I do say so myself.Marjorie Hill of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force and Diego Sanchez of the Democratic Platform Committee discussed the proposed National AIDS Strategy that has been submitted to Obama.
Others in the crowd: H. Alexander Robinson, CEO of the National Black Justice Coalition; April Carson of the Alliance for Justice Action Campaign; Pedro Rivera, representing the Stonewall Democrats; Morris Price, national program officer for the Gill Foundation; Pam Bennett, an at-large candidate for the Aurora City Council; and Denver City Auditor Dennis Gallagher.

See more pictures from this event at denverpost.com/seengallery

Denver Post Society Editor Joanne Davidson can be reached at 303-809-1314 or jdavidson@denverpost.com. She is taking a break from the column that she writes four times a week for The Post’s Life/Style section to cover events connected to the Democratic National Convention.

Steve Farber outside the Denver Art Museum, where the party hosted by his law firm was held Sunday night. Photo by Joanne Davidson, The Denver Post

It must be tough to be Steve Farber, this week especially. As one of those responsible for bringing the Democratic National Convention to Denver, his schedule is daunting, to say the least.
Someone said he has almost 400 commitments during the convention’s run, and he’ll probably make all of them. But even this Energizer Bunny has his limits.
“I was so tired today that I passed out (for a nap) at 4 o’clock,” he admitted as he and law partner Norm Brownstein prepared to welcome about 2,000 of their friends at a “welcome to the DNC” party held Sunday night at the Denver Art Museum.
ProLogis and American Clean Skies were the co-hosts.
Crowded as Farber’s itinerary is, it pales next to that of Gov. Bill Ritter, who also attended the DAM bash. Ritter could only stay for a minute because he was due at Red Rocks Amphitheater to introduce singer Sheryl Crow.
Academy Award winning actress Charlize Theron had RSVP’d with a “yes” to the Farber fete; whether she made it was still up in the air at press time. Those who were there: media mogul Ted Turner, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee of Texas; Kathleen Brown, sister of former California Gov. Jerry Brown; and such local luminaries as U.S. Rep. Mark Udall, former legislator Tim Wirth; Rosemary Rodriguez, Denver’s former clerk and recorder who is now a member of the Election Assistance Commission; Stephanie Foote, president of the 2008 Roundtable Series; and John Morland, managing director/global communities for ProLogis.
DAM Director Lewis Sharp was there, too, as was former Gov. Bill Owens; Larry Mizel; Tom Strickland; Jeremy Kinney with wife Holly Arnold Kinney, owner of The Fort restaurant; Goldman Sachs vice chairman Bob Hormats; former Denver City Attorney Cole Finegan; Josh Hanfling; Blair and Kristin Richardson; Michael and Shereen Pollak, owners of Hyde Park Jewelers; attorneys David and Patty Powell; Walt and Georgia Imhoff; MDC President David Mandarich and wife, Bonnie; Linda and Dr. Richard Kelley; Barry Hitschfeld; Eula and Janet Adams; Paul Esserman; attorney Hubert Farbes; Dick and Marcia Robinson with daughter and son-in-law Ellen and Mark Schwartz; Rose Community Foundation President Sheila Bugdanowitz; Larry and Julie Gelfond; Susan Kirk; Michael James; Rollie Jordan and Dr. Bill Silvers; Rose Community Foundation’s chief financial officer, Anne Garcia; and National Jewish Health President Michael Salem who, on Wednesday, is having a lunch at his home for U.S. Sen. Dan Inouye of Hawaii.

Pictures taken at the Welcome to the DNC party can be viewed at denverpost.com/seengallery

Denver Post Society Editor Joanne Davidson can be reached at 303-809-1314 or jdavidson@denverpost.com

Felicia Michelle Adams, daughter of John Adams and Verlean Adams, and a senior at East High School, where her activities included dance, track and volleyball. Felicia will major in biology at Colorado State University-Pueblo and plans to become an obstetrician/gynecologist. “Meeting all these lovely young ladies” has been the highlight of her debutante experience. Her escort for the ball was Noel Smith, a 2006 graduate of Montbello High School.

Chontavia Marie Cooper, whose well-wishers for the ball included Denver Bronco Dre Bly. Chontavia is in the first graduating class for Denver School of Science and Technology, where she was homecoming queen, a member of the yearbook staff and prom committee. She was also crowned queen of the Sigma Pearls Cotillion. Her parents are Troy Davis and Tonya Davis and she will be pre-med at Fisk University. Of her desire ro become a pediatrician, Chontavia says “It always hurts me to see a child not being able to function as it should.” Her escort was Devon Darville, who graduated from high school in 2007 in Louisiana.

Shashawna Fay Crowe,who plans to enroll at Metropolitan State College of Denver following her May 21 graduation from Regis Jesuit High School. She’ll major in business management and administration. At Regis, Shashawna was founder and captain of the Lady Raiders step team, served on the Multi-Cultural Alliance executive board and attended diversity conferences both locally and nationally. Her parents are Wythe and Linda Crow. Shashawna says that being a deb was neat in that “People recognize you for all your accomplishments” and that she particularly enjoyed taking part in the community service component of the program. Her escort: DeAndre Davis, a student at Denver School of Science and Technology.

Iliah Marie Duncan is the daughter of Keith and Diedra Duncan and will graduate from Rangeview High School. She credits the debutante experience with helping her to “Open up more … it brought me out of my shell.” During high school, Iliah worked two jobs to earn money for her college tuition; she’ll attend school in Louisiana, majoring in computer science with goal of becoming a systems analyst. Dancing is her passion, as is writing music. Her escort was Deon Davis, a student at Smoky Hill High School.

Kyla Michelle Hoovergraduated a semester ahead of her senior class at Smoky Hill High School and has been taking classes at Community College of Aurora since January. She is currently weighing options offered by other schools, including Florida State University, in her desired major of sociology. Darrell Armour and Charlotte Armour-Hoover are her parents; her escort was Vaughn Sterling, a student at Gateway High School. Of the debutante experience, Kyla said: “My mom, who had been a deb, told me it’d be a fun thing — and she was right!”

Kera Nalene Keliiholokai is graduating from Hinkley High School with a 2.714 GPA and while she knows she wants to major in music, she is still deciding on which of the colleges that have accepted her to attend. She’s a vocalist who can sing any style of music and has her eye on oneday landing a role on Broadway. She’s a Denver native with a Hawaiian grandfather, and says that when she looks back on her high school days she will be proudest of “Being able to accomplish things I didn’t think I could.” Her parents are William Keliiholokai and Kecia Keliiholokai and her escort was Joshua Taylor, a student at East High School.

Courtney Tyler Marsh maintained a cumulative 3.176 GPA at Gateway HIgh School, and for that she received an academic letter. She also received an athletic letter for playing volleyball all four years and assisting the coaching staff by instructing elementary school students in the fundamentals of the game and encouraging middle school students to play when they enter high school. Not surprisingly, then, she will major in elementary education at the University of Northern Colorado. As for being a deb, Courtney said: “I loved dressing up, looking nice and having a day that was all for myself.” Her parents are Melvin Marsh and Gwendolyn Marsh; her escort was Rangeview High School student Wilbur Powell.

Mira Elizabeth McClinon was accepted by three colleges and has chosen Gonzaga University in Spokane, Wash., where she will enter a five-year engineering program that will eventually yield an MBA. Biochemical engineering is her primary interest, and she also enjoys basketball and will play for the women’s team at Gonzaga. “I love playing basketball,” she said, but a pro career isn’t on her radar screen. “Education is going to take me a lot farther than the WNBA,” she observes. Mira was a member of Kent Denver School’s elite basketball team for three years and was twice voted MVP of the volleyball team. Her parents are Rudolph McClinon Jr. and Karen Parks-McClinon; her escort was Tory Hill, a graduating senior at Hinkley High School.

Carli Symone Pearce is graduating from Gateway High School with a 3.2 cumulative GPA, for which she received an academic letter and was recognizd as an outstanding student in the foreign language and social studies departments. The daughter of Angela Pearce, Carli will double-major in social work and Spanish at Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte, N.C. Her goal is to become a social worker. “I’ve seen so many problems that I think I can fix,” she said. At Gateway, Carli was captain of the hip-hop dance team and belonged to the Pep, Ebony and Spanish clubs. She was presented by her pastor, Lee Hall Sr., and escorted by Tyler Johnson, a 2006 graduate of Grandview High School.

Tina Marie Trammer is graduating from Aurora Central High School with a cumulative GPA of 3.105, which earned her a spot on the Honor Roll for the past nine quarters. Before starting her pre-law studies at the University of Colorado-Denver, Tina will get a close-up look at politics by serving an internship with the Obama campaign during the Democratic National Convention. Her career goal is to become a district attorney. Tina is the daughter of Ida Holloway and won two Debate Club awards in high school. She was presented by Justin Trammer and her escort was Shane McGee, a student at Montbello High School.

Pictures taken at the Sigma Pearls Cotillion Ball can be viewed at denverpost.com/seengallery. Another story about the debs appears in Joanne Davidson’s column in the print edition of today’s Denver Post.

Society Editor Joanne Davidson can be reached at 303-809-1314 or jdavidson@denverpost.com.

When Ed Greene speaks, people listen. OK, so I adapted that line from an advertising slogan, but when the genial CBS4 weatherman advised guests at the Colorado Symphony Ball to “party like rock stars and bid like Bach stars,” they did just that. Read more…

… not on the way to the forum, but at Curious Theatre on Wednesday night when the second Denver Stories lit up the stage. The five original skits poking good-natured fun at Westword editor Patricia Calhoun, theater impresario Robert Garner, chef Troy Guard, public relations ace Andrew Hudson, and philanthropist Judi Wolf brought howls of laughter from a crowd that was as high-profile as those being skewered.
My column-writing colleague Bill Husted has details about the skits in today’s Denver Post, so I’ll fill you in on who was there.
Co-chairs Holly Kylberg and Dr. Dean Prina, for sure, and such others as the past and previous chiefs of the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, Don Seawell and Dan Ritchie; attorney Steve Choquette, president of the Curious Theatre board; Chip Walton, the producing artistic director; and the sponsors of Curious Theatre’s upcoming 10th anniversary season, Jeremy and Susan Shamos.
The Shamoses also were the sponsors of the Judi Wolf skit, “Little Red Do Some Good.”
Also, University of Denver trustee Joy Burns’ CBS4 chief Walt DeHaven with fiancee Wendy Aiello; public relations master Rex John; travel agent Don Greco; and photographer Alana Rothstein, a Denver native now based in Los Angeles who shot the commemorative photos of the inspirations for this year’s Denver Stories.
We also spotted Roselyn Saunders; Douglas Kerbs; Jamie Angelich; Ernie Blake and Sharon Magness Blake; Peggy Beck; Bradley Joseph; Allan Frank and Margot Gilbert Frank; Britta Erickson; Ernest Gurule; Aaron and Sandee LaPedis; Roger Hutson; Elizabeth Neid; Jamie Van Leeuwen; Carol Wolf; Terry Vitale and John Head; and Judi Wolf’s sons, Lance, Victor and Marco Chayet with their wives, Barbara, Susan and Paige.
Troy Guard not only was part of the show, he donated the cocktails and hors d’oeuvres served before guests took their seats and hosted the after-party at his Nine75 restaurant. Gateaux provided the sweets served at intermission.Pictures from Denver Stories can be viewed at denverpost.com/SeenGallery.

Society Editor Joanne Davidson’s column appears every Sunday, Wednesday and Friday in the Scene section. She can be reached at 303-809-1314 or jdavidson@denverpost.com. While she may never star in Denver Stories, she sure could provide the writers with some interesting fodder.

Elsewhere in The Denver Post blogsphere, my colleague from the business department, Christine Tatum, talks about some excellent bargains to be found at area Macy’s stores. Man, she’s not kidding about how good they are.
Since my job involves attending a lot of dress-up functions, I spend all of my wardrobe money on fancy stuff: evening gowns, suits, shoes, coats. When I need play clothes — jeans, tennies, hoodies, etc. — I shop where my dollar goes the farthest, Target, TJ Maxx, K-G Women’s and places like that.
En route to Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue in the Cherry Creek mall the other day, I detoured through Macy’s and couldn’t believe my eyes. Racks of already-on-sale merchandise were marked down even further and in less than an hour I found five tops, a skirt, a sweater and a pair of ballet flats that had my name on them.
The damage? Less than $150. The shoes alone, had I bought them when they were full price, were $125.Denver Post Society Editor Joanne Davidson can be reached at 303-809-1314 or jdavidson@denverpost.com. She also clips coupons from the Sunday paper to use on excursions to Safeway, King Soopers and Walgreens.

Mountain Living magazine, whose editor-in-chief, Irene Rawlings, is a former Denver Post scribe, gives out its annual Best of the High Country awards at an apres-ski soiree Thursday at the St. Regis Resort in Aspen.
Proceeds from the 5:30 p.m. event go to Aspen Youth Experience, which helps at-risk teens and young adults from across the country “overcome their obstacles and achieve their full potential.”
Winners, determined by the magazine’s readers and editors, include Aspen/Snowmass (Best Ski Resort); Best Romantic Getaway (the Ritz-Carlton Bachelor Gulch); Best Snowboarding (Grand Targhee, Wyo.); and Best Undiscovered Town (Silverton).
A complete list of award recipients is in Mountain Living’s January issue, which is on newsstands now.
“This is always one of our favorite issues to put together,” Rawlings says. “We are lucky to have such a well-traveled and vocal readership that we can count on each season for opinions and feedback.”Society editor Joanne Davidson’s column appears every Sunday, Wednesday and Friday. She can be reached at 303-809-1314 or jdavidson@denverpost.com. The winner with which she is most familiar is Cafe Pasqual in Santa Fe, N.M., recognized for Best Breakfast. Few things are better than its buckwheat pancakes.

Study after study has shown that when it comes to charitable fundraisers, Denver has more per capita than any comparably sized city in the nation. Joanne Davidson has been covering them for The Denver Post since 1985, coming here from her native California where she'd spent the previous seven years as San Francisco bureau chief for U.S. News & World Report magazine.